my 12 year old angel
by blacksta1n
Summary: He went through each day merely searching for a reason to live, without a reason to die. at 16 Kanda had given up. whats left? blinded by anger and hatred only in his death can he be saved- by an angel. update: nowhere is safe, do not be decieved
1. angel

**my 12 year old angel**

Yu Kanda was 16 years old. He was your typical rebellious teen. Disinterested in what was best for him, he didn't listen to those who claimed only to want to help him. He was Japanese, and looked it; clean long black hair, sharp ebony eyes which, with closer inspection, would be found to be a rich and thoughtful midnight blue. He had not smiled since the age of 8. He had been a happy child, a treasure. He lived with his mother and father and older brother for these first 8 years. His brother was one that every one would be proud of. Every one was proud of him. He was kind, considerate and an absolute genius. But modest, he cared for his family, and younger brother. But he soon grew distant, and it was in Yu's 9th year of living that he killed himself.

The Kanda family was very traditional, and for this to happen brought shame to the family. They were rejected, and they secluded themselves, with in months they had moved to Britain. Before they had even learned the language.

Yu Kanda was sent to an English school, with almost no knowledge of the language. He was teased and bullied, and his childish happiness left all his features. He learned self defence, but the first time he used it, a boy was sent to hospital. His own parents disgraced him. Never quite as good as his brother, they kept him, but barely supported him.

Kanda would never be like his brother. And he was quick to choose not to. He separated himself from people altogether; his parents, his classmates, potential friends and strangers.

He went through each day merely searching for a reason to live, without a reason to die.

After his 16th birthday he had had enough. The empty shells that used to be his parents, all but fed him. They couldn't even look at him. He felt pathetic, a pointless existence in the household. After his insufficient dinner he went to his room and packed his tiny amount of possessions and left. He didn't sneak out, he didn't even try to be quiet. He just walked out the front door at 7:32pm.

His parents didn't spare a glance.

He lived on the streets. For the first week he tried and tried for jobs but his applications were rejected countless times. Eventually he ran out of food and was drawn to a skinny form that screamed hunger. After 9 days he stopped applying for jobs. But refused to become what he saw 'a pathetic slime' in other words a beggar. He sold his possessions for money at first. Keeping only two items that meant everything to him. His katana, _Mugen,_ which he received on his 6th birthday from his brother. And his Jade comb, girly though it was he always kept his hair clean, long, straight. So as the days wore on in his homelessness, though his clothes became dirty, his face bruised and unkempt; his hair would be constantly clean and knot free as he passed the time brushing it. On the 10th day he stole food. Fed himself and slept.

Theft was foolish, in his mind, and he was in no rush to do it again. Hence he continued to starve himself. He became nothing but a sack of skin and bones.

After 24 days his legs collapsed. It was 6:02 in the evening so there was no body around. No one would help as he tripped over his own exhaustion and starvation and fell onto the sidewalk as the sun began to set. No one would save him. He wasn't afraid. He didn't, couldn't, care anymore. Death was just another annoyance, coming to bother him.

He watched as a light snow fell on the pavement in front of him. At first it melted away as if it had never existed. But then it began to pile up, creating small mountains of ice, and he could feel the cold biting his cheeks. He breathed out and watched his breath fog the air as he closed his eyes for what he hoped would be the last time.

He couldn't bare to look at this world anymore. It was such an eyesore. If ever he was sad, that emotion had been smothered by his anger and hatred at the world. He couldn't even remember what it had felt like to be truly happy, half his life ago.

In the darkness he heard footsteps crunching in the snow. They seemed so distant but Yu focused on them as if they were a god send. Perhaps an angel coming to take him away. But then he questioned the existence of god. Of heaven. Surely no such high and mighty figure really existed. He was sick, in Kanda's mind he could imagine a sick, sadistic man laughing at him, and had he enough energy he would have growled as his anger flared. But as it was, he just curled tighter, as if protecting himself.

The cold ice had created a numbness that reached all through him, passed his skin turning his stoned heart cold, and he realised, suddenly, that the footsteps had stopped. He nearly smiled as he thought that in his rejection of God; God had rejected him.

But out of no where, through the numbness of his cheek, he felt warmth press on his cheek. He opened his eyes to glare at whatever had pulled him from his death with that push.

An angel.

White, white, white. The snow was grey in comparison. No the snow _was_ grey. The pale face and the ivory hair that looked like silk. Shiny silver eyes, pooled with worry and concern, confused the dying teen, never had he seen concern like that, let alone for him. The face was so close that their fogged breaths were mixing. And the warmth was coming from a gloved hand, resting on Kanda's cheek.

A red scar mauled the perfect angelic features of the boy in front of him. But his open and concerned mouth turned slightly into a relieved smile as silver eyes peered into dull blue orbs.

He didn't remove the gloved hand and Kanda held onto the warmth as he shut his eyes and allowed himself to slip into an exhausted unconsciousness. The last words he heard were barely caught, sounding like whispering chimes on the wind, tinkling into his ear, but creating a thread. A thread that would keep him alive.

"How's your faith these days?"

* * *

**A/N I probably will write a second chapter... most likely- in fact im already planning it... well I hope you liked it. I suppose nothing much happened. I got the idea from 'seasons' by the Hilltop Hoods. If you haven't heard it I suggest you listen. Very deep. And I really wanted to use that last line.**

**Oh and by the way, just for some extra context, it's Christmas eve.**

**Please review!**


	2. greetings

**my 12 year old angel**

**chapter2: greetings**

Music. Some disgusting happy noise emanating through his hurting skull. Even turning his lips up into a snarl hurt. Christmas carols. He suppressed a groan. He hurt all over, and he could be barely move. He could feel that all of his muscles were tight, making his bones ache under the pressure, and the headache threatening to rip his face in two. But worse than all of this, though he'd never admit it out loud, was his stomach. He was so hungry. How long had it been since he last ate?

Wasn't he dead?

He suddenly remembered seeing the white haired angel. That's right, he died. From hunger. But why was he in heaven? He didn't feel like he was in heaven. But angels didn't work for the devil. Did they? He felt the rough material beneath him and decided to attempt opening his eyes. Fighting the dried eye jam, he opened blurry sapphire eyes to see a dark room. An unfamiliar ceiling, with a bare light bulb in the middle. They have electricity in hell? Weren't there supposed to fire burning fires everywhere? With pain shooting through his neck muscles he glance around, finally forcing himself to sit up. He was in a bed, not all too comfortable, but much better than the cement floors he'd been used to. He saw light shining in from beneath a door, and it was now that he heard a slight humming coming from somewhere. Pulling the warm and all too inviting covers off him and stepped onto the rough grey carpet. He moved cautiously, testing the ability of his sore muscles and opened the door a crack. Pulling back quickly, blinded by the light, he tried again to look out. All he could see was a fridge and a bench, a wall obstructing his view of the rest of the kitchen. And there on the bench was the blasted radio playing the infuriating Christmas carols. Kanda hated Christmas.

After a few more moments of glaring at the music device he moved into the light, squinting his eyes slightly. God he was hungry, and this was a kitchen. He could hear the humming still, in tune with the music. He peeked around the corner of the wall to see his white haired angel. Though now, in his almost alive state, and watching the short being hum to his most hated form of music, it wasn't so angelic. Kanda's eye twitched as he recognised the smell that filled his nostrils, only then did he realise the 'angel' was cooking bacon. His stomach growled, forcing a blush to his lips as the humming stopped. A surprised pale face whipped around to look at him, frying pan and spatula in hand. There was a moment of silence as they both stared at each other, before the white haired boy's face broke with a blinding smile.

"good morning!" he said cheerfully.

Embarrassingly enough, in all his confusion Kanda had to ask, so without a greeting he asked quietly, "am I still alive?"

The child before him cocked his head to the side at the strange question. "yes."

Kanda turned away and leant his back against the wall, groaning. He was just getting used to the idea of being dead, and it wasn't all too bad. But now he was still alive. Stuck on this god forsaken earth, and the boy before him was no angel, just that; a boy. A weird looking one at that. He opened his eyes again, taking a deep breath and looked at the ceiling as though accusing some higher power. A small voice made him look back at the boy.

He had his head down, kitchen utensils still in hand, "you shouldn't wish for death. You leave things behind."

"I've got nothing to leave behind idiot."

At this the kid looked up with tear filled eyes, and he looked at Kanda with a mix of anger and despair. "That's not true! There's always something. Someone... someone will miss you!" he turned around sharply, continuing to cook the bacon. Kanda just stared at him, not understanding what he had meant. None would miss Kanda, he was all alone. Nobody loved him, his parents hated him, he had run away. To the world, he didn't even exist. The small, skinny shoulders were shaking, and he could hear him sniffling. He didn't know what to do so he just watched as the small boy continued to weep over something Kanda could not see. He put the bacon on the plate, and seeing the cooked red meat, the Asian's stomach threatened to break through his self restraint. The eggs were cracked, and they cooked quickly.

"I've made breakfast, if you want to sit down, it will be ready in another minute." He didn't look at him, and his voice sounded stiff. Kanda moved around to the other side of the bench and took a seat, seeing that there was no dining table, on a stool. A plate and knife and fork were pushed towards, which he picked up greedily, he didn't look up as the boy advised him.

"Don't eat too quickly, you'll throw up. You haven't eaten in a while, your body wont be used to digesting."

He didn't join Kanda on the stools, but ate his food standing. Despite the advice he had just given the food before the white haired boy was gone before Kanda had finished his fifth mouthful, he stared in horror, and disgust at the boy before him, who was wiping his mouth with a tea towel.

"I'm Allen by the way, what's your name?"

Scowling as he finished his mouthful he put down his knife and fork, "Yu Kanda."

"Oh. Merry Christmas Yu!"

"Don't ca-" he was cut off by the food returning to him mouth. His stomach couldn't handle all he had eaten, no matter how slowly he had chewed, and he was now throwing up. His stomach screamed in pain, and his throat burned with bile. All he wanted was some food! Was that such a bad thing? He felt something patting his back.

"Here, have some water." A glass was pushed towards his face, he noticed it was only half filled, but he gulped it down gratefully. "you should be alright to eat now, if you want to try again...?" he realised the Allen kid was right next to him, looking at Kanda with the concerned face he remembered he had never imagined.

He turned back to his food. As much as he despised to be reminded of the family he belonged to, he hated the name they had given him even more; "don't," he mumbled to his bacon, "don't call me Yu."

"oh. Sorry, do you want me to call you Kanda then?" he asked with all seriousness.

Kanda just grunted before attempting to eat something again.

He felt Allen leave his side, and started to wash up in the kitchen. What was he supposed to do now? Who was this kid? Was he supposed to stay here? Did Allen want something. Was Kanda supposed to give him something in return? The Asian groaned inwardly; if only he'd died he wouldn't have to deal with any of this.

Allen began humming to the Christmas carols again.

**A/N I prefer writing long chapters so the next one will be longer, this one was just a quick meet and greet sort of thing. Next chapter will be a (in a sing song voice) getting to know you! Getting to know you!! Oh and Allen's not 12 anymore ^_^ prepare for puberty he's reached his teens!**

**Hope you like it! Please review!**


	3. little thief

**my 13 year old angel**

**chapter 3: little thief**

Allen had hummed Christmas carols for days afterwards. He potted around the tiny house singing to an orchestra that didn't exist. Kanda never complained but he never enjoyed it, he hated Christmas, but in due time he got used to it. The boys had come to an unspoken agreement that Allen would cook and Kanda would clean, it just sort of happened that way. Not that there was much cleaning for Kanda to do, he just washed dishes.

It happened abruptly, on the fifth morning Allen took Kanda's empty breakfast plate away and explained his plans.

"We have to leave today." He said with a smile.

"Leave?" Kanda looked up in confusion, "where are we going?"

Allen put the plate in the sink and tapped his chin; "hmmm, I'm not sure really. It's gonna get hard cause everyone is coming back from holidays now."

Kanda scowled and rubbed imaginary dust off the counter. He and Allen didn't talk much, usually more than content to sit in silence. Sometimes they would leave and maybe mention a goodbye of sorts, but it was when they had conversations that Kanda remembered why he had so often kept his mouth shut; the kid just didn't make sense.

"Why do we have to leave anyway? We got food, a bed, what more do you want?"

"We have to leave cause the people that own the house will be coming home soon. Duh!" Allen waggled his head as though the reason was as obvious as their lack of age, "and anyway, we've got no food now."

"Wait! So you don't live here?" Kanda inquired though the more he thought about it the more it made sense. How could they possibly live here, own the place, neither of them even had a job. Kanda suddenly felt stupid for not having realised it sooner, it heated into anger and he felt filthy. "You little snitch!" he hissed at the boy, Allen flinched back in shock, "this whole time you've been stealing people's food, sleeping in their bed! And you fed me with it! You're nothing but a filthy thief."

Allen had on the single most guilty look as he rubbed his hands nervously and looked anywhere but at Kanda, "but you were dying, I just wanted to hel-"

"You should have let me! I wanted to die! I wanted to disappear" he cut Allen off yelling. When Allen said nothing and continued to look at the floor Kanda slumped back on the stool and looked at his palms with burning eyes; "I am a disgrace."

There was a desert of silence as a fissure opened up between them. They came from two completely different worlds and yet they were exactly the same, and they hated it. They hated what they had become, hated the world they lived in, they hated each other as much as they loved each other.

"I'm sorry" Allen mumbled, twisting his toes and thumbs, "I- I didn't know what else to do."

Kanda clicked his tongue and threw his head to the side, "it doesn't matter now, let's just go."

They hustled about making the tiny house look clean and untouched though they both knew that their presence would not go unnoticed. The house was too warm and inviting, that and the fridge was considerably less full. They left through the window, leaving the front door locked, and as Kanda climbed out before Allen the smaller boy tugged his shirt, making Kanda pause.

"I really am sorry" he still couldn't look up from the floor, "Kanda."

Kanda frowned at the boy and then turned his head to the cool air outside the window, "whatever" he muttered before jumping, Allen followed suit.

They walked in silence to town. Allen watched the pavement slide beneath his feet, watched as he trod along a road he couldn't. It felt like the pavement was rising at him until a new foot stepped forward and kept him standing, the frosty bite of winter ripped through his clothes making his teeth chatter like a church choir.

He glanced up at Kanda who was a good head taller than Allen, and noticed that Kanda also watched the ground disappear beneath him. Allen found himself nervous with the older boy, he was stoic calm and yet seemed always to be agitated. Allen didn't like people being mad at him. He had always tried to please people to make them happy just so that they would not be mad at him. And this boy who was taller, and had to be older than him, was the closest thing he had ever had to a friend, he didn't want to mess it up. Kanda was the only person that had stuck with Allen for longer than a few hours, in two years that was.

Allen knew what it was to be happy, to feel loved and to belong somewhere. It made the absence of those feelings feel so much worse. But he had dealt with it for two years and had strengthened his heart against feelings of despair and hopelessness. One feeling he couldn't seem to dispose of however was the lingering sadness that took refuge in his heart. It was a similarity he had subconsciously recognised in Kanda and that was why he clung to him, desperate for someone like him, someone who might be able to understand him. He was desperate to feel warm again.

Staring at his feet had allowed him to lose track of the boy in front of him and with his longer legs Kanda had disappeared into the busy streets of the town. Allen stopped and glanced all around him whispering the Asian's name repeatedly. The snow had begun to fall making it difficult to see things through the white fluff and sea of umbrellas. He took off at a run, dodging the faceless bodies that walked blindly onward. Allen suddenly felt alone again.

As he ran through the crowd he suddenly felt someone grab his wrist, jerking him violently backwards. Stumbling over his own feet his fell into the body of the person that had grabbed him and he looked up in fear only to see Kanda frowning at him.

"Now where do you think you're going?"

"I was just- you were- I couldn't" Allen huffed feeling all flustered.

Kanda just rolled his eyes and cut him off; "whatever. Okay little thief, since you're so good at stealing you're getting lunch."

"What?" he looked up wide eyed and astounded.

"Time to show you're mastery," he jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at a bakery, "we're gonna need food sooner or later. Go snitch some stuff from here so that we can save it for desperate times."

"But I don't wanna-"

"You didn't seem to have an issue with stealing from the family whose house we slept in!" Kanda growled at him in a threatening manner.

"But this isn't the same!" Allen cried.

"It's exactly the same. You're a little thief, you're not supposed to think; you steal!" he hissed.

Allen reeled back; "I'm not a thief! I only steal when I'm desperate and you were going to die!"

"And doing this will prevent that from happening! This is planning ahead, we won't be greedy and we won't eat it straight away. We'll ration it okay?"

Allen still looked in indecision, wanting Kanda to like him and wanting to do what he knew was right.

"I'm older so I know better, so just do it. I'll just be over there." He pointed to the other side of the street before shoving Allen towards the door and running across the crowd.

Allen looked feebly over his shoulder at the disappearing older boy and then back at the bakery, which suddenly looked very big he took a big gulp before taking a step forward. In all of his two years he had never done something as foolish as this, he had stolen, yes, but only in times of dire need and only in circumstances that were feasible; open shops and market places, places where you could grab off the table and run. He had never actually walked into a shop to steal. It was the same as walking into the lion's den in his mind.

A bell jangled as he walked in and he glanced around before allowing the door to close. It was a popular bakery that was filled with people. Allen walked straight up to the nearest rack of bread and started shoving bread into his arms, glancing over his shoulder nervously. Hugging four rolls tightly to his chest he started to back slowly away and out of the shop, feeling that he had almost reached the door he turned quickly in order to run but instead knocked his face into someone's stomach.

"Dear me, little boy, I don't believe you've paid for those." A scary looking woman with curly hair and hollowed eyes smiled down at him.

In panic Allen shoved the rolls into her arms and ran through the door with another tinker. He was it straight away by the crowd and could see Kanda across the sea of umbrellas, glaring at passersby with his arms crossed, before he leaped down the cement steps and battled his way through the horde fearing that at any second a police officer was going to suddenly grab him and take him to prison. His young mind throwing at him all the worst possible situations that could happen to him. Finally he reached his friend still slightly panic stricken and sucking air.

"Where's the food?" Kanda growled.

"I couldn't!" Allen stammered; "there was a woman and she, she-"

"You got caught?!" Kanda near shouted.

Unable to answer Allen nodded his head vigorously, squeaking out a 'sorry!'

"You're useless!" he scowled, "come on we better go." And he turned quickly to march off.

Allen jumped forward to keep up with him but felt two hands on his shoulders and froze in fear. It was the police. He just knew it; they had caught him and were going to take him away. The woman had told on him and now he was going to go to prison, all for a couple of bread rolls he didn't even want!

As if sensing that something was wrong Kanda turned around to check on Allen only to see the boy frozen. They locked eyes and then Kanda saw the hands on the younger boys shoulders and followed the arms upwards his face paling as he did so until he was a stiff as Allen was staring at a woman.

"I think I understand what's going on here." A familiar voice sounded from behind Allen and he took the nerve to glance upwards at the scary woman from the bakery. "I'm sorry I frightened you!" now that Allen had been let go he noticed that she seemed to be close to tears; "b-but I just wanted to give you this!" she grabbed Allen's small, pale hand and gently placed the bread roll into his palm, "now you be a good boy. I'm so very sorry I can't do anymore!" and she stood, giving one more tear filled look over her shoulder she walked away; one of the only people without an umbrella.

Allen watched the snow and crowd swallow her up before he felt a vicious tug pull him to face the other way to face Kanda who held his hand out; "give it here."

Without question Allen allowed Kanda to take the bread and put it into Allen's backpack, Kanda pushing him back the other way in order to do so.

"What have you got in here?" Kanda questioned as he zipped the bag back up.

Allen blushed and mumbled a reply; "just stuff." He turned around to see that Kanda had already walked off in indifference and Allen jogged to keep up with the long legs. "Where are we going?" Allen asked.

"I'm going to go and find a place to sleep." He looked down at his small companion in a strange way before he sighed and shook his head. "You're not much of a thief are you."

Allen pouted, which Kanda saw from the corner of his eye and bit back a smirk, "I'm not a thief. But there are wrong and right times to steal. That was a wrong time and that's why I was caught." He huffed.

"How long you been living like this for?" Kanda asked with an air of disinterest glancing around at the people passing them by.

"Two years."

"Two years?!" Kanda whipped around to stare at him with wide eyes before he coughed into his hand and looked forward with a bored expression, "that's quite a while." He caught Allen shrugging his shoulders. "So then, how old are you?"

"I'm thirteen now." Allen smiled.

"You don't look it." Kanda huffed.

Allen frowned; "well then how old are you?"

"Sixteen."

"You don't look it either."

Kanda looked down at his arms which he extracted from his coat sleeves to see that they were very thin, he fingers bony and the wrist seemed to jut out at an odd angle. His skin looked very pale and delicate and he realised that, judging by his hands, he either looked like a new born baby or a very old man. He began to feel very small.

**A/N so yeah, took me a while eh? No update for a long time. And certainly no update on this for a long time. I've been in a very funny mood recently. And when I'm in this mood I usually draw. But I'm at an artist's block and can't seem to draw for shit. This was the only fic that seemed to match the mood I'm in so this is the best I can do for you all. Thankyou to all those that read this, all my reviewers watchers and favourite-rs. My fuel ****I'm writing for you.**

**Reviews are like candy at Christmas.**


	4. learn

**A/N: ****WARNING!!!**

**This fanfiction is going to become a spiralling tunnel of despair. There is no happiness, no warm fluffy moments and don't hold your breath for a happy ending. If you are easily upset or offended by: drugs, abuse, alcohol, sex, homosexuality, rape or prostitution then please don't read this fanfiction. However, also note that the characters and events in this are not real.**

**You have been warned. Any reviews that accuse me of being insensitive of the listed material above will not be tolerated. Thank you.**

**my 13 year old angel**

**chapter 4: learn**

Within a week the boys had found themselves an abandoned old house to take refuge in, just on the outskirts of the industrialised London. They had discovered that the decaying walls were also inhabited by more than rats, but other homeless children just like themselves and even some homeless men. The house was on the brink of collapse, half the walls had fallen down, and only one side was roofed, though being a two story it didn't matter so much and most of the runaways took up bed space down stairs.

Allen had warmed to the place straight away, staring open eyed and opened mouthed at everything and everyone. He was completely oblivious to the dirty stares they got from the dirty rag covered people huddled here and there. Kanda followed stiffly behind Allen, looking left and right in cautious glances, less amused. He assumed that a fair few of these people looked worse than he and Allen did.

A large stomached man had eventually come and greeted them with a booming voice like a hotel manager. He introduced himself as David but Kanda thought, instinctively that this man was much more like Goliath from some fairytale of a life passed. They had been welcomed to find themselves bed space and introduced to many of the inhabitants. Kanda was very suspicious with it all, why would so many people who could not afford to feed themselves accumulate in one area where there would be more mouths to feed. Allen on the other hand was animated and exuberant at the idea of so many potential friends, he was jumping from one person to the next, meeting people and trying desperately to learn all of their names.

Once they were, reasonably, alone Kanda spoke to Allen about his concerns.

"We can't stay here long," he said in undertone, "something doesn't feel right."

"What do you mean?" Allen frowned, "these people are just like us."

Kanda frowned at the younger boy; that was what he was worried about.

"We'll all help each other!" Allen reasoned, "please, can't we stay here at least for a little bit? I like it here."

Kanda thought about it for a bit, looking between Allen's pleading eyes. He couldn't find a justified reason to say no except that something felt off. He would give in to Allen for now and see how he felt at the end of the week. "Fine."

Allen's eyes lit up instantly and a smile split his face. He grabbed Kanda's hand and dragged him up the stairs to find them some comfortable bed space. The stair case was danger in itself, half of it was missing and the stairs creaked and moaned under every step, the wood splintering and threatening to snap even with their pathetic weight. On the second floor they found a good area in the corner amongst some rubble. They didn't have anything to sleep on so they moved some of the debris around to make it look nest like, and then they dumped their bags. They remained hidden in their nest like beds for the remainder of the day, exhausted and starving.

Several days had passed with Allen and Kanda living in the old house and Kanda wasn't warming up to anyone, and vice versa. He stuck to his and Allen's nest most of the time only leaving it to look around or leave the whole house. Allen on the other hand seemed to have many friends with both the children and the adults, coming back to Kanda each night with a look of guilt strewn across his face though Kanda made it obvious that he didn't care what Allen did during the day.

During all the time that he had spent alone he had been observing the happenings of their new living space. His sense of unease never lessened but actually increased as he started to notice that almost all the adults, and some of the children left before sunset and returned just after sunrise. Some never came back at all and there was always a new face. Women came and went as well, always looking like whores, wearing little clothing and make up that appeared permanently smudged. It was for that reason that Kanda didn't care what Allen did during the day, as long as he was back in their nest by sunset. He wasn't exactly sure when he started to care about the safety of the little guy but he knew that he did.

Whilst Kanda was carefully observing their surroundings day in and day out Allen was happily oblivious to their depressing situation. He had made many new friends, one in particular was a boy who went by the name of 'Eeze', who was only a year younger than Allen. Eeze was very quiet and quite shy but also very friendly. He constantly had a medical mask over his face and sad eyes shone over the top. Allen liked Eeze because he was so kind but also because the younger boy brought a new game and skill into Allen's life. Eeze was teaching Allen how to play poker. It started on the second day when Allen had seen Eeze shuffling cards in a very professional kind of way, Allen himself new a few card tricks had offered to show off a little, the little blond boy asked Allen if he knew how to play, he then proceeded to teach him.

Every day since then they had spent much time honing Allen's skill at bluffing and keeping a straight face. It was easy for Eeze, Allen often complained, because the boy always wore a mask. But even after that light provocation the younger boy refused to remove it. They also got along quite well because neither of them wanted to talk about their past, thus neither asked about it of the other. They were more than happy to sit together in silence and concentrate on the card game. Eeze explained to Allen that he often went out with some older friends who played poker frequently, he never played himself because he didn't have any real money to play with, but he watched them play and that was how he learned to play himself.

One day Eeze invited Allen to come along to the poker game as well and he could barely contain his excitement! He really wanted to see the game in action when men were making bets and taking risks. He wanted to see how it really looked. That day they set off in the late afternoon, walking through the industrialised London to meet with Eeze's friends that he had told Allen so much about.

When Allen didn't return to his and Kanda's sleeping space at the usual time Kanda found himself getting anxious even though it wasn't quite dark yet. He got up and paced for a bit, he looked out the window, and then over the ledge of where the top floor was split in half. Finally he decided that he would go looking for the boy. He trotted down the stairs searching the whole while and trusting the rickety stairs not to collapse beneath him. There weren't many people in that night and the few that were were trying to set up some fires with the house's rubble to prepare for the cool night. Mostly people just ignored Kanda now, just as he ignored them. But as he walked past one darkening room he heard someone address him and he stopped in mild shock when he realised that it wasn't Allen.

"He's not here you know," said a deep voice with aloofness, "your little pet."

"What do you mean?" Kanda asked. He glared as he recognised David coming out from behind a wall in the room. He was looking around the room as though he had never seen it before and when he looked up at Kanda he grinned.

"He's gone out with the big boys, it is a Friday night after all." David chortled, making Kanda scowl, "well I guess _someone _needs to earn your keep hmmm?"

Kanda paled slightly; earn their keep? What did that mean? "What?"

David laughed, a big throaty chuckle that made Kanda sick to his stomach, "don't tell me you thought you could stay here for free? Here? In my house?" he stepped forward and towered over Kanda, but the Japanese boy refused to back down, "I keep you all safe here, look after you. I expect payment by the end of each week, in one way," he clamped a meaty hand down on Kanda's shoulder, "or another."

Kanda flinched away, disgusted, and David chuckled at him again. "I'm glad you understand. So I suggest you stop slinking around and start finding a way to pay me or you're on your own."

Kanda backed away, refusing to turn his back on the grinning man, his eyes were wide and he knew he looked weak and frightened. He knew that and he hated the fact. David watched him as he backed around the corner, the sky was starting to darken and the fires were making the broken house flicker and glow orange. As soon as David was out of sight Kanda turned and ran back to his nest where he sat silently shivering in the darkness. He stayed tense and wide awake, waiting for Allen to come back. They had to get out of there.

Meanwhile Allen had just arrived at a pub and he and Eeze snuck in after a rather large man. It was much warmer inside and the whole place seemed rather cosy to Allen, despite the place looking rather rundown. The fireplace was glowing on the other side of the room and most of the people in the pub were huddled around there and it emitted a warm orange glow through the bodies of the men. Eeze tapped Allen and brought him to a corner where a small group of people seemed to be gathering, the two boys were around the same height and easily the smallest persons there, they pushed through the few people that blocked there part and were welcomed by a mature voice calling out to them.

"Eeze! Long time no see! Come here I saved you a seat!" a shaggy looking man with glasses called out. He wore a tattered and torn woollen jumper and his hair fell like a curly mop over his face and neck. His eyebrows shot up when he saw Allen, "who's this? Did you bring a friend?"

Eeze just nodded his head, he never really spoke much, and when he did his mask tended to muffle everything he said.

"Hello," Allen nodded his head, not really knowing what to say, and took a seat with his friend which was just behind the man that just greeted them.

"Evening!" the man smiled at Allen as he walked past and held out a hand, "Tyki."

"Allen." He replied, accepting the hand.

"We're just about to get started, aren't we boys?" Tyki leaned back towards the table and pulled out a pack of cards.

There was a grumble of agreement that circled around the table as the other men nodded their heads. After the cards were shuffled and dealt Tyki lit himself a smoke as many of the other had and the game began. Allen paid close attention and tried to see through each payers 'poker face'. Eeze seemed less interested that Allen and only watched Tyki for a little bit before being distracted by the rest of the pub. Tyki only seemed to play well part of the time and was losing a lot of his money. Some of them started betting objects like smokes or beer when they ran out of money and Tyki was soon one of them.

Eventually he had nothing left to bet but his jumper and his half smoked cigarette. He patted his pockets, just in case, and sighed.

"Well I'm all out unless any of you boys want my jumper?" Tyki asked as he placed his cards face down on the table. The rest of the table mumbled disinterestedly and kept playing without the curly haired man. "Alright then," he turned to Eeze and Allen; "looks like I'm staying at your place tonight Eeze, ready to head off?"

The boy nodded and hopped off his seat, Allen followed suit and Tyki stood, stretching his arms with a yawn, "pleasure as always boys, have a nice night!"

The cool was quite a shock when they left the orange glow of the pub and they all shivered and tried to huddle themselves in theirs rags of clothes. By now Allen had gathered that Tyki, like him and Eeze, was homeless and used poker and gambling as a means of survival. They walked 'home' with Tyki in the middle of the two boys and Allen didn't realise how tired he was until he saw the ruined house in the near distance and felt his body shake with weariness.

Once inside Tyki and Eeze wondered off to the other boy's sleeping area while Allen trudged upstairs. He was surprised to see Kanda sleeping sitting up against the wall. The older boy had his arms crossed and his head fell to one side with his mouth slightly open. Allen instantly felt a stab of guilt and hoped that he hadn't made Kanda worry too much. Shivering with cold he huddled next to Kanda and rested his head on one of his elbows, his eyes shut instantly and the exhausted boy was asleep in seconds, Kanda didn't even stir and they both fell away from the world into a dreamless sleep.

**A/N wow! What a catch up! I think this chapter was a bit different to the previous ones so let me know what you think. Do heed the warning I gave earlier. Obviously because its me it wont be explicit but the issues will be apparent, as you can see some are already beginning to reveal themselves. But other than that I thank you all for your support and I am really truly sorry always updating so slow! I'll try to be better!**

**Its 2am so I think I might sleep now I hope you like!**

**Please review!**


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